


Boyfriend

by RocioWrites



Series: The Subtle Art of Pairing the Shadow King and the Devilish Twin #2 [7]
Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 19:45:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2785472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocioWrites/pseuds/RocioWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It’s not something personal, senpai. It’s just… <em>I’m his older brother</em>. And you’re his <em>boyfriend</em>.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Boyfriend

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: suicide & incest mention.

“Breath.” Sounds Mori’s gruff voice. “Deeply. Slowly.”

Hikaru obeys.

In. Hold it. Out.

In. Hold it. Out.

In. One, two, three. Out.

Body relaxing, he feels his chest expanding and contracting rhythmically. Everything is quiet and the room is filled with a deliciously sweet scent, vanilla or something equally edible. He makes a sound in the back of his throat, suddenly feeling too still sitting on the floor in the middle of Mori’s room, eyes closed, meditating.

“Focus. Clear your mind.” The senior orders in a steady voice.

Hikaru counts his exhalations, evening his breathing, slowly moving all thoughts aside. His mind was too noisy but now it feels like it’s empty and ready to be filled again in an orderly manner, one idea at a time.

He tilts his head upwards, seeing the light behind his eyelids. He stretches his arms and legs, bones popping satisfactorily and with a soft grin he opens his eyes, lowering his head to watch his senpai sitting in front of him.

“Better?”

“Very much so.”

Mori gives him an honest smile and stands up, offering Hikaru a hand and helping him up as well. “Do you want to talk now?” Hikaru shakes his head but this time his negative is different from the one he was offering back in the Morinozuka’s countryside house. There’s peace within the older Hitachiin twin, some sort of acceptance and although he seems a bit distressed from time to time, the overall aura he shows is one of passionate agreement. Agreement with Kaoru, Mori supposes. So he asks “Where’s Kaoru?”

Hikaru tenses a bit, hand still in Mori’s grip. It’s obvious that Kaoru is his main concern. “With Kyouya-senpai.” He shrugs, relaxing willingly. “He says he wants to learn to manage the accounting books of the club so Kyouya-senpai is teaching him.”

Silence falls again, a sort of quiet and stillness that’s both comforting and full of meaning. Mori watches Hikaru and admires all he’s grown and he thinks of Kaoru and he knows the younger twin has found a path for himself. Mori can’t predict the future so he doesn’t know what will happen between Kaoru and Kyouya, or between Hikaru and Kyouya – but he can’t forget either that if he’s forced to choose sides, things will get heated. He can’t ignore the fact that things have been working smoothly for everyone, he wishes more than anything that this gleam in the twins’ eyes will prevail.

And he wishes the shine in Kyouya’s whole presence – due to Kaoru apparently – will also prevail.

“I offered to help Kyouya.” Mori tells him, amusement badly hidden. He has an idea of what’s going on with Kyouya and Kaoru and therefore, _that_ explains Hikaru’s behavior. “But he refused my help.”

“Really?”

Mori finally lets Hikaru’s hand go and nods. “He said I shouldn’t worry about it, that it’d be an important experience for him to handle the club’s finance by himself.”

“Maybe now he’s looking for some help since he already has learned what’s to know about managing the club.” Hikaru supplies, looking for some clue as to why Mori seems so interested in this tiny bit of information.

“Maybe.”

“Come on Mori-senpai.” Hikaru finally snaps, voice barely above a whisper like he wants to be too secretive about it. “Spit it out. What do you mean?”

His smile grows wider, proud of Hikaru’s newly found perceptiveness. “I didn’t offer my help when the club opened, I offered it months later.” _Kyouya already knew what there was to know about managing the club_ goes unsaid.

There’s an implied truth that Hikaru is aware of as much as Mori.

“What do you mean?” The twin insisnts, crossing his arms and piercing Mori with a look.

They both know what it means but Hikaru can’t say it because it’s not his place to out his own brother or the Shadow King. Mori can’t say it because he has no evidence whatsoever and only his instinct isn’t enough to sell this as a fact.

“Kyouya has a soft spot for Kaoru.” The older student concedes and Hikaru’s eyes go wide.

However, he schools his expression and smiles at Mori. There’s nothing he can hide from the other, Hikaru knows. Not even this.

“…yeah.”

“Does it bother you?”

Hikaru takes a breath and thinks about it. “Not really. I’m just worried, senpai.” He looks down, finding a spot to fix his eyes on. “But Kaoru seems happy so I’m happy.” And that’s such an honest smile.

“Are you still worried about the Ootoris?” Hikaru nods. “But calmer.” Mori notes.

Hikaru breaks into a Hitachiin trademark grin. “Can you tell?”

“Everyone can.”

He seems so proud of this fact that his grin turns into a bright smile. For a moment Mori feels like he’s seeing Hikaru’s truthful smile for the first time and it’s amazing. They’re standing a few steps away and it’s like there’s only room for them, their eyes and expressions.

“Good. I want everyone to be able to tell.” Hikaru goes on cheekily.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Nah.” He waves a hand around to indicate his negative but Mori looks at him like he’s not convinced. “Maybe a piece of advice?” Hikaru requests, a bit sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. Mori nods and stays silent, allowing him to keep talking. “You know I can’t tell you the whole thing, right?” Mori nods again, clearly understanding that the Hitachiin is talking about Kaoru and Kyouya. “So…” He drawls. “I’m worried. Big news there, right? Anyway, should I talk to the Shadow King or not?” There’s light amusement in Mori’s face again as he rises an eyebrow. “Kyouya-senpai!” Hikaru corrects himself like a brat, no regret whatsoever at the nickname.

The older grunts reprimanding him but there’s no real heat nor anger there so Hikaru chuckles it off. “If it brings you peace of mind, you should.” Mori says, ignoring Hikaru’s innocent lack of respect towards Kyouya. “Remember to be civilized though.”

“Yes, sir!” Hikaru lifts a hand to his forehead and then moves it away in a military salutation.

“And don’t call him Shadow King to his face.” Mori adds at last, a small smile curving his lips.

*

*

The door of the Third Music Room opens and right after, it’s closed again. The intruder’s steps are confident and echo but the Shadow King, currently working at his usual table turned desk out of necessity, blatantly ignores them.

The steps stop beside him and a pair of curious golden eyes peer at his work in the laptop when in all honesty the newcomer doesn’t care about the Host Club budget nor the points system they’re implementing to earn money. Kyouya keeps typing and dealing with the administrative part since they don’t open today and it’s the perfect moment.

If only people wouldn’t randomly show up to bother him…

“May I help you?” Kyouya says finally after minutes of the other just _staring_. So unsettling.

“Let’s do something together, senpai.” The voice sounds sweet and docile.

He arches an eyebrow and turns to look at the Hitachiin at his side. “And why would _you_ want to spend time with me?”

The boy loudly sucks in a breath feigning hurt and surprise although his eyes remain kind of cloudy to make it hard to read his real intentions. However, the first thing that strikes him is the fact that Kyouya didn’t exactly refused, just questioned his motives. He recovers steadily and smiles as big as he can, tilting his head as if the reason would be obvious.

“Just because.”

Kyouya narrows his eyes and studies the smaller figure, for some reason it seems the boy’s trying really hard to shrink in on himself posing as nonthreatening. “Are you impersonating your brother, Hikaru?”

Hikaru’s eyes widen and his lips twist themselves into a scowl. “You can tell us apart.” Are his words, going back to his normal demeanor. Kyouya nods without adding anything and goes back to his work. Hikaru huffs annoyed and crosses his arms over his chest, tapping his foot. “You do know what they say about twins, don’t you?” He presses, barely containing his urge to glare at the other.

“That one is evil and the other one is good?” Kyouya supplies, smirking at his computer screen.

Hikaru rolls his eyes. “No. And that’s a load of bullshit by the way.” Kyouya stays silent so he goes on. “Star-crossed lovers who committed suicide reincarnate as twins as to not be separated again.” He finishes with a flourish.

Kyouya stops and directs him an incredulous look. “That’s too messed up even for you.”

“Oh, more messed up than Milord referring to himself as our father, you as our mother and Haruhi, Kaoru and me as your children? Or more messed up than Mother perverting one of the children, hmm?” He counteracts, smugly.

“I can’t defend anything Tamaki does or says but I am _not_ perverting anyone if you must know.” Kyouya saves the file and closes his laptop, turning to face the Hitachiin.

“Yeah sure. Like I’m blind and I don’t see the way you look at my little brother.” Hikaru almost spits, arms tight around his frame and body tense.

“And how do I look at him? Please enlighten me.”

“Like you’re gonna devour his soul.” He replies, voice low and honest, not a trace of malice or hate. Just plain truth.

Kyouya is taken aback by the raw emotion flashing in Hikaru’s expression and it’s probably the first time they have a really personal conversation.

“I wasn’t aware of that.” Kyouya mumbles more to himself than to the other. “I’ll try to diminish my devouring souls kind of looks towards Kaoru then.” The Ootori offers and stands up, guiding the twin to the nearest couch and sitting with him. Hikaru doesn’t resist and allows Kyouya to scrutinize him for a bit. “I’m not competing with you for Kaoru’s affections.” He assures, carrying such a resolution in his voice.

“Like hell you are.” Hikaru rasps out. It’s not mean-spirited but it comes out wrong – like he’s daring Kyouya to even _try_ and compete with him for Kaoru’s attention and love.

“And I’m not doing this to upset you.”

Hikaru blinks at him. “I know that too.” And then he smiles a bit. “It’s not something personal, senpai. It’s just… _I’m his older brother_. And you’re his _boyfriend_.”

Kyouya seems dutifully shocked at the word and feels color rising to his cheeks. He coughs into his fist to regain some composure and Hikaru looks at him strangely. “We haven’t used that particular word. I don’t know if you could say we ar—” He gets cut off by the younger student’s glare and his hand in the air.

“Oh no.” Hikaru growls. “You kissed him, right?” And his voice comes out quite menacing.

“Well…” Kyouya is pretty sure most of the kisses were started by Kaoru but yes, here and there he has initiated his fair amount.

“There. You kissed him, you’re his boyfriend.” Hikaru accuses pointing at him with his index finger and then poking him on the chest. “You don’t get to kiss my little brother and then be a player, you _are_ his boyfriend now.”

Silence fills the room and the atmosphere feels awkward. Hikaru probably takes a few extra seconds to realize what he just said and Kyouya is too stunned to actually care that his face is a mix between horror at being mistreated like this by someone younger and utter amusement at Hikaru’s thought process.

“Very well then.” He decides to go for amused and pleased. “Do I still have to diminish my devouring souls kind of looks towards Kaoru?”

Hikaru shudders like he’s remembering those looks and they’re traumatic. “Yes!” He pauses. “And while you’re at it, keep your hands to yourself too.” Kyouya arches an eyebrow but smirks nonetheless and nods. “I’m his older brother.” Hikaru explains again. “It’s my responsibility to bicker at you and complain about everything you do with him.”

“I see.” Kyouya pushes his glasses up his nose. “As long as you don’t go too far, I think things will work out just fine.”

“Good.” And the Hitachiin twin beams at him like he just promised to save the world.

Kyouya sees the resemblance, not only the same face and a lot of the exact same facial expression but the real resemblance behind them. The light they bring when they smile or laugh, the glint in their eyes when they’re being mischievous.

And he also sees the differences and it’s comforting to know that they’re different even if they tried so hard to hide it.

“Good.”

Hikaru nods and stands up, ready to go. However, before stepping away he stops himself and inspects the other. “Can I ask you something, senpai?”

“Go ahead.”

“When were you able to tell us apart?”

Kyouya brings a hand to his chin, remembering the times when the Host Club didn’t even exist and they weren’t a _family_ – as Tamaki calls them now. He didn’t have any special interest in the Hitachiin twins back then but as soon as Tamaki started to work so hard to tell them apart, he decided to pay attention.

And it was so hard to tell them apart back then, he feels like laughing at his own stubbornness during those months.

“A little bit after the Host Club started.” He concludes.

That does it for Hikaru, his eyes open slightly, mouth going slack and his fingers twitching limply. He shakes his head. “Before Haruhi.” He utters and it sounds as if he actually didn’t intend to say it out loud. Kyouya nods slowly, like it’s not a big deal because he doesn’t want to scare him. Hikaru smiles. “Thank you.” It comes so honest that it’s Kyouya’s time to be mildly baffled.

“What for? I didn’t do anything.” Kyouya somehow manages to shrug with class and Hikaru suppresses a snicker at this.

“Because things would have been so much different if you had told us then that you knew who was which twin.” Hikaru doesn’t offer further explanation and tilts his head to the side in a sign of goodbye.

Kyouya waves his hand, shooing him and pretending he knows exactly what the other meant. He probably does know though – because the twins love Haruhi a lot to allow her to be that deep crack in their bubble. But the Shadow King? When the Host Club started? That was probably too soon by the wrong person. Tamaki was the small crack and Kyouya, Mori and Hani were there in the background proving to be friendly and useful enough to maybe be let in someday. Haruhi was the final straw.

He guesses he could have only done damage back then so he agrees with Hikaru. Then again, he didn’t have a motivation to reveal such information at that time.

Hikaru’s steps take the boy to the door and he stops before taking the knob.

“Is there something else?” Kyouya asks.

“Be good to him.” He whispers and sudden intent swells him so he turns around and pierces Kyouya with a powerful look. “I just want…” He starts and deflates soon enough, slumping against the closed door. “I just want Kaoru to be happy.” Hikaru finishes, lowering his gaze.

“Me too.” Kyouya answers automatically.

They both blush in harmony.

Kyouya coughs and looks away. Hikaru smiles sheepishly.

“Good to know.” The older twin mutters and ducks out of the room, sprinting through the hallway as quickly as he can – not waiting for Kyouya to add anything else; if you ask him, they both have made clear their intentions and that’s enough for now.

Hikaru descends the stairs jumping two steps at a time and keeps running until he almost crashes into Kaoru who’s waiting for him.

Laughter bubbles up in his throat and he grabs Kaoru’s hand, dragging him and forcing him to run too.

“Where were you?” Kaoru reproaches. Hikaru shakes his head and smiles at him, tugging him along, prompting him to run even faster. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Everything’s fine!”

They leave the driver flabbergasted when they avoid him, run around the limo and keep going down the street. The man closes the door of the car and chases after them, calling desperately for them to settle and allow him to drive them home.

Hikaru keeps laughing and Koaru feels his heart fill with warmth and affection, his brother’s joyful attitude being contagious.

“Everything’s fine?” Kaoru repeats as a question, smiling hugely.

“Yes!” Hikaru intertwines their fingers and slows down a bit, completely out of breath. “Don’t you think so?” He pants.

Eight meters behind, the driver is threatening to call their mother and inform her of their bad behavior. They both ignore it.

“Yeah, I think so.” Kaoru replies.

Because really, everything feels fine right now.


End file.
